Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

I think the dipstick goes in the little gap between the exhaust manifold and the block but I think the way you have it may be better, I put mine in the gap and it has started to rust from the heat. Just make sure you can pull it out and put it in with relative ease. Really diggin the clear dizzy cap, gotta get me one.

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

^I tried putting the dipstick in the little exhaust gap, but it wouldn't fit. Strange, because I think that's where it was from the factory. The dipstick slides in and out nicely. And I LOVE my clear distributor cap. It looks sooooo much better than the red one the distributor came with. I got it for Christmas.

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

Man this swap is looking freaking sweet!!! Never seen a clear distributor cap either, pretty neat.

Originally Posted by greencadillacmatt

Jay, I'd love to swap in the rear from the Brougham, but it is non-posi, drum brakes, and I don't want to lose my 3.42 gears. I'll upgrade the rear when I find a posi/disk rear. My 7.5 rear end should hold up well enough if I don't beat it too badly.

GM used that same rinky dink 7.5" rear end in the 4th gen fbody. LS1 V8 cars make 300rwhp stock, and you know most guys who have these aren't anywhere near stock. The rear ends in the fbody's tend to hold up better in automatic cars, with some guys running 400+rwhp on the stock rears. What tends to destroy them are high rpm clutch dumps and sticky drag slicks. They just can't take that real sudden shock.

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

Is there not a better passenger side manifold to use than that one with the crazy crossover?

Nice idea with the air cleaner. I want to letter mine up in the same style with the 6.0, and "Cadillac V8-6-4" at the bottom. How about HP rating instead of fuel induction? They used to do that back in the day. It would look factory...

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

Aron - That makes me feel a LOT better about the rear in my car. I'm not going to worry about it for now unless I put a manual in there.

Sting - I don't have proper headers on there because I couldn't find ones that would definitely fit. I didn't want to order some and then have them not fit when trying to put the engine in.

Jay - I actually have the crossover part of that manifold plugged off. My friend's dad made me a block-off plate for it. It almost looks factory. I did some research (with the help of csbuckn) and it looks like all Olds 350 exhaust manifolds have the crossover. They plugged it from the factory if you ordered duals.

deville33 - I LOVE my four-point engine stand. It's an AC DELCO stand rated at 1000 lbs. I scored it on craigslist for like $40. My three-point stand for my parts engine is very wobbly in comparison. It's scary to move that thing.

GeneLaw1 - The engine itself was another craigslist find. I found it near Flint, MI. I think it was a town called Milan. I got it for less than $100, and it only had 54,000 miles on it. This is what it looked like before I got my hands on it:

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

I set my valve lash to 25 ft-lbs that my manual called for. Then I put the valve covers on. Since my lifters aren't pumped up, will it make a difference in the torque on the valves once the lifters are pumped up when I go to fire it? Or is it good as it sits? Anybody that has built an engine please reply!!!

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

Yup, every Olds motor from 260 to 455 had that stupid manifold.

I'm almost(but not quite) certain there is a long-tube header out there for the Olds 98/Buick whatever/Pontiac Bonne(the last of the big 2doors, like 79 or so) with the 307/350(and the rare 403). I know there was because I bought them way back when, but they may be hard to find now. Anyway, essentially the same car/bay/frame so no reason they shouldn't work.

I have to figure out this same swap for my 85 Seville using a 260. But I want to keep the injection and fuel management computer rather than carb it up and then have do something with all the dead readouts inside.

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

Scott: that's what I was thinking. I was going to say look into some Olds 98/Buick Electra (I think?) headers. I forgot about the Bonneville. I bet you'd find them under Bonneville anyway, because a lot of people seem to like to turn those into donks, bleh.

Re: 1984 Coupe DeVille Engine Swap!

Originally Posted by greencadillacmatt

I set my valve lash to 25 ft-lbs that my manual called for. Then I put the valve covers on. Since my lifters aren't pumped up, will it make a difference in the torque on the valves once the lifters are pumped up when I go to fire it? Or is it good as it sits? Anybody that has built an engine please reply!!!

It is a common practice to allow your lifters to set in a container of engine oil for a couple hours, moving the container every now and then to allow the air escape and the oil fill the lifter. You can stand the lifter upright and push the plunger down to evacuate the air.
If it is a new cam and lifter set, the Manufacturer usually sends literature on the proper proceedures, lubricants and break-in products to use for the lifters and cam to wear in properly.